AFL to postpone both Opening Round matches scheduled for Queensland amid Cyclone Alfred fears

Brisbane captain Lachie Neale says he wouldn’t have left his family if the AFL had relocated the club’s Opening Round game, amid angst at the NRL’s decision to shift a Queensland match to Sydney. HAVE YOUR SAY

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The AFL has postponed the season-opener between Brisbane Lions and Geelong at the Gabba and Saturday’s Gold Coast and Essendon clash due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

The league confirmed on Tuesday afternoon it was not possible to stage the two matches safely as south-east Queensland braces for destructive winds and heavy flooding from late Wednesday.

The Lions’ Cats clash is likely to be held in round 3 when both clubs have the bye, while the replacement game for Essendon Gold Coast could result in a shuffle around their mid-season byes.

Gabba staff on Tuesday began removing some furniture from open-air corporate areas and taking down some signage and LED screens which would have posed a safety risk for patrons and players.

Premier of Queensland David Crisafulli at the Kedron Emergency Services. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Essendon was slated to fly to Gold Coast on Friday, but chief executive Andrew Dillon said the forecast rainfall across the weekend meant the game had to be scrapped.

The league is also mindful of the need for players to focus on their families and properties rather than their football commitments across the weekend.

It means the AFL may have to slot in the replacement game off a short break for one or both of the clubs midseason.

The league will discuss the matter with the clubs before locking in a date to play the postponed match.

The league is confident clubs will be able to overcome the late change to their 2025 fixtures following the experience during the COVID-19 pandemic which forced clubs to adjust quickly to compressed fixtures and changed arrangements.

Dillon said the league had to prioritise players and fans’ safety after receiving advice from Queensland Government.

“It was a tough decision but in the end we didn’t have any alternative,” Dillon said.

“With the tidal surges which will be coming, our understanding is once the cyclone passes there will be continued rain.”

The AFL could slot the replacement Essendon Gold Coast game in between rounds 17 and 18 which would mean the two clubs play each other twice in a row.

They are currently slated to play each other in Round 17 which could be scheduled for a Thursday night on July 3.

The replacement game between the two sides could follow on Tuesday off a short break for both clubs on July 8.

Then the two clubs could play their next game on Sunday July 13 which would mean they would both play three games in 11 days.

Gold Coast has its midseason bye in Round 14 and Essendon in Round 16.

But the compressed schedule is unlikely to appease the clubs and their coaches.

Dillon said the league would work through the options.

“Brisbane and Geelong have a common bye in round 3, but there are also options in the bye rounds and we are looking at all of those.”

Queensland premier David Crisafulli urged residents to brace for the loss of power and stock up on household and personal items.

Queensland schools will remain open on Wednesday but could shut on Thursday and Friday when the worst weather hits.

The state is expecting winds in excess of 100 km/h from late Wednesday and up to 700mls of rain in some areas.

LIONS SKIPPER WOULDN’T HAVE PLAYED

- Matthew Forrest

Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale says he would have refused to play in the Opening Round clash against Geelong if the AFL opted to flip the fixture to GMHBA Stadium.

The Lions and the Cats were due to play in the season opener on Thursday, but the AFL has chosen to postpone the clash as Cyclone Alfred nears the coast of South East Queensland.

With the league still yet to decide when the rescheduled game will be played, Neale said he would not have flown down to Melbourne if the AFL chose to play the game in Geelong.

“I wouldn’t have played, I would’ve stayed here with Jules and the kids and we have a dog here as well,” he said on AFL 360.

Brisbane superstar Lachie Neale says he wouldn't have played had the AFL tried to move the Lions/Cats game to Victoria this week.

Watch #AFL360 on Fox Footy Ch. 504 or stream via @kayosportspic.twitter.com/QNX1oXoeSv

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) March 4, 2025

“So unless they were willing to fly families as well, which on a pretty short notice I’m not sure if they could’ve organised that, but if they were able to fly families out of town and we could’ve sorted out the dog then I would’ve done it.

“But I wouldn’t have left Jules here with our three year old daughter and a 10 week, 11 week old little boy, so that would’ve been pretty hard to do.

“I wouldn’t have played.”

It is most likely the Brisbane v Geelong fixture is moved to round 3, when both clubs have a bye.

Geelong plays on Saturday night in round 2, while Brisbane plays on Sunday at home.

In round 4 the Cats then play on Friday and Brisbane play on Saturday.

If the rescheduled game was moved to Saturday afternoon in round 3, Geelong would have a seven day break into a six day break, while Brisbane would have a six day break into a seven day break.

Neale’s stance came as the wife of NRL star playmaker Kodi Nikorima expressed serious concerns over the NRL’s decision to relocate the Dolphins’ Friday night’s clash to Sydney, leaving families behind as cyclone Alfred closes in on southeast Queensland.

On Tuesday, the NRL made the decision to relocate the fixture between the Dolphins and the Rabbitohs from Suncorp Stadium to Commbank Stadium in Parramatta, citing safety concerns for players and fans.

Alfred is expected to make landfall in southeast Queensland on Thursday, bringing with it destructive winds of 130 kilometres per hour and heavy rainfall, including flash flooding.

The Queensland government has also warned that millions of residents could be without power for around three days after Alfred makes landfall tomorrow.

Dolphins players are scheduled to travel to Sydney for the Round 1 clash on Wednesday to avoid travelling through the worst of the wild weather.

In a now deleted social media post, Bree Nikorima, who is six months pregnant, expressed her anger at the NRL’s decision to relocate the game as families of players are left to face the tropical storm without their partners.

“Because a game of football is THAT important. Leaving the families behind to ride out the direct line of a cyclone alone,” she had posted.

“Some (familites) with no support at all.

“I’m 6 months pregnant with 2 young kids in an area that can flood. Disgusting.

“Do better NRL.”

— with Fatima Kdouh

EARLIER: SCOTT SAYS CATS DON’T WANT TO FLY INTO STORM

Geelong coach Chris Scott has urged the AFL to make a quick call to postpone Thursday night’s season-opener, saying the club has reservations about “flying into the eye of a cyclone”.

The league is expected to make a decision on Tuesday to shift the game to round 3 when the Cats and Lions have their byes.

The AFL is tipped to postpone both Opening Round games in Queensland — including Gold Coast versus Essendon — due to the hazardous conditions and potential cancellation of non-essential flights to Brisbane and Gold Coast.

The league is discussing the matter in Sydney on Tuesday morning and is tipped to announce the decision in the early afternoon.

The AFL will be guided by advice from the Queensland Government ahead of likely school and road closures in Brisbane on Thursday and Friday.

Saturday’s Gold Coast versus Essendon clash is also in jeopardy due to the “destructive and dangerous” weather conditions including 100 km/h winds forecast for the southeast corner of Queensland.

Lions coach Chris Fagan said on Tuesday morning that postponing the match would be “common sense”.

“Everyone’s safety needs to come first … common sense should prevail,” Fagan said

“It’s not a tropical thunderstorm, it’s a cyclone. I have never been in one, so I don’t know what to expect. But I’ve seen the carnage they’ve caused at different periods in Australian history.

“I’m not too keen on the idea of things going ahead if it’s going to be like that. It can’t, can it?

“The sooner the decision’s made the better.”

There is the possibility the Bombers-Suns game could be moved to Sunday, although that would disadvantage the Bombers who would have only a five-day break for the round 1 Friday night match against Hawthorn.

Cyclone Alfred animation Friday

‘Everyone’s safety needs to come first …Common sense should prevail’ @brisbanelions coach Chris Fagan at the Gabba this morning. Expectation of a postponement of their @AFL match against @GeelongCats in the coming hours due to tropical cyclone Alfred @[e-mail]/48oI7ivLzP

— Josh Mclean (@McJoshmclean) March 3, 2025

Essendon has its bye in round 4 and Gold Coast has its bye in round 2, complicating matters.

Geelong was scheduled to start flying players to Brisbane on Tuesday, and want a decision made before their players begin hopping on a plane.

The cyclone's predicted path as of 6.30am Tuesday

Scott said the priority should be the community’s safety, not a football game.

“We do need to know. We have some players that are scheduled to get on a plane this afternoon, so we probably need some guidance,” Scott said on SEN.

“Even in principle, the idea of getting on a plane and flying into the eye of a cyclone doesn’t sound like a great idea.

“If they (AFL) ask us to do something we feel is inappropriate then we will make that known at the time but we are a long way from that position now.”

Brisbane residents have been warned they nay lose power across the weekend and have been urged to stock up on personal and household supplies.